Think About What You're Eating In China

[anonymoose]

Anyone for some monkey?

[Zomac]

There are still several dog meat restaurants around here. One about five minutes away from where I sit now.

It hasn't been banned. Someone suggested it should be and got a lot of publicity. That's all.

I'm also fairly sure the monkey brain thing is a myth. 

perhaps he read it from The Black Book of Communism? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Book_of_Communism)

Also from wiki:

Berlusconi defended accusations he made that the "Communists used to eat children", by responding with claims that "... read the Black Book of Communism and you will discover that in the communist China of Mao, they did not eat children, but had them boiled to fertilise the fields".

[Zomac]

Have a look at this thread, in which a number of laowais commented, and count the instances of "inhumane" and "violation of rights" you encounter. That might give you a first.

When I heard a missionary-like statement about meat consumption, I often wondered if we really have "humane" ways of having meats? I dropped this question to The SPCA International a few years ago and they confirmed that "all meats consumption are inhumane". To be a bit specific, they tried to promote "the least inhumane" ways to have meats and it certainly doesn't endorse KFC's chicken meat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPaxE9ouHpI

The systematic way of torturing animals is still a torture. I rather accept that we're all a bunch of axxhole. To save the world, better have human meats. When the last man were eaten, our world would be saved.

[crazy-meiguoren]

Just to toss my two cents' worth in about the dog & cat as food debate...

I admit, I have the typical western laowai attitude about eating the critters. It doesn't stop there, though. I have been a very picky eater throughout my life. We also have our own gourmand delights in the West that I wouldn't touch with a 3.048 meter pole: rabbit, squirrel, nutria, rattlesnake soup, etc.

I also understand that there may be a few things in our culture that are just as unpalatable to a non-Westerner. The road goes both ways and I respect that.

Having said that, my sister has a cat that is so fat, that I'm sure I could make a nice profit if I sold it by the pound.

[skylee]

Having said that, my sister has a cat that is so fat, that I'm sure I could make a nice profit if I sold it by the pound.

How old is it? Over here we have this saying "老狗嫩貓兒，食死無人知。” People like to eat older cats.

[Brian US]

I wasn't going to go out of my way to eat dog, but I did get a chance last year. Had some hot pot that my friend said in English had dog meat. I didn't hear her correctly, so it came out as 'duck.'

It wasn't too bad, but I must say that it tasted a little RUFF! I always like telling that one...

[crazy-meiguoren]

How old is it? Over here we have this saying "老狗嫩貓兒，食死無人知。” People like to eat older cats.

My guess is about 9 or 10 years old, so there should be a decent market for it. My biggest concern is because of its obesity, the fat might spill out of the pan while it cooks. But if that should happen, a bit of 苏打粉 will put out grease fires.

Interesting saying... tough dogs and tender kittens...

[DecafLat]

If anyone is actually doing that they probably got the idea from some animal-rights organization claiming the Chinese love doing it.

The entire "animal rights" movement is made up of petty criminals, vandals and perpetrators of malicious lies. They profess to care about the value of life; yet they feel no compunction about maligning an entire culture and demonizing an entire people.

Just proves you can make a living doing anything.

Edited December 27, 2010 at 09:30 PM by imron
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[jbradfor]

Nice generalization there. Way to go, piss off lots of people here for no reason.

[DecafLat]

Nice generalization there. Way to go, piss off lots of people here for no reason.

I believe that's their own coin.

So, for me at least, mission accomplished.

[wushijiao]

The entire "animal rights" movement is made up of petty criminals, vandals and perpetrators of malicious lies. They profess to care about the value of life; yet they feel no compunction about maligning an entire culture and demonizing an entire people.

Unfortunately, this statement has a bit of truth in it. There are some animal rights activists who engage in violence and demonize those that they disagree with. But to say that this represents the mainstream is misguided, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the mainstream opinion of animal rights activism is often driven by extreme acts or nutty groups like PETA.

However, there is another strand in the animal rights movement that sees the ending of animal use based on the notion of ahimsa -- or, kindness and non-violence. Built into this worldview is the idea that compassion for other beings (human and nonhuman) should be integrated into all of our activities. This view rejects violence, rejects the logic of single issue campaigns (ie....protesting fur sales, when most people, often including the protesters, are wearing other animal products like fur and leather). You can read more here and here.

Clearly, in the animal rights world, the abolitionist, non-violent movement based on veganism and ahimsa is gaining ground (compared to the welfarists and psydeo-punk-anarchists ideas of destroying animal use facilities...note: actual anarchism has a lot in common with the belief in the non-commodification of beings). It's very easy to become a part of the movement...歡迎你參加！

[hht]

I must say I am slightly suprised by the lack of people here who HAVEN'T eaten dog. Genuinely.

I have been in China for about 7 months, many of you seem to have been here for years or at last 1 or 2 years. I think within a month or two I had eaten dog (without knowing) and have eaten it since. I wouldnt say I regularly eat it but in the winter months (which seems popular dog eating time here in 'the south') I have certainly had it 5+ times. I assumed most of you would have eaten it by now one way or another?

Once thing which did make me feel a little weird was I once saw a motorbike car thing (the bikes with a back bit for goods) which lots of hairless fully in tact stiff dogs tied on the back of it. However I think would be pretty much as weird seeing that with any animals we eat such as a whole stiff cow or something.

And before anyone says why does it weird you out if you will eat it. I am a product of this western generation, we grew up with chicken nuggets and nice bits of meat in home cooked meals.

Also I am under the impression most dog meat (where I am anyway) is only from a certain breed, bred like cattle to be eaten. Of course I cannot be certain but I dont think many restaurants go around scooping up a couple of toy dogs that have lost their owners.

[jbradfor]

I think within a month or two I had eaten dog (without knowing)

I assume you ate it because someone else ordered it for you? I didn't think ordering do "by mistake" is very likely. So, perhaps to answer your question, consider people that don't have other people to order for them?

[jaded samurai]

...

[aristotle1990]

I once saw a guy carving up a dog and spit-roasting it... in a public park.

For some reason this reminds me of this:

I once saw a student eat an entire rotisserie chicken, a tub of mashed potatoes with gravy, several biscuits, and an enormous soft drink during the first 10 minutes of a lecture.